09/02/2024
The Ghost Dogs of “Paw” leys Island: All Dogs Go To Heaven
I love the coast of South Carolina and dogs. It is a beautiful and magical place I hope to call home one day. It is the ideal place for fun and relaxation and is known to have a few haunted locations.
We all know the more familiar stories around this area, like The Grey Man and Alice Flagg, but have you ever heard of the ghost dogs that are said to haunt the island?
It is a sad tale that Christine Vernon (happy birthday), or as we call her Ms. Chris, writes about in her book The Old and New Legends of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. You can pick a copy up online or at the Lazy Gator. It is the perfect read to get you feeling beachy and in the fall mood. And you can always take her tour, the Inlet Cottage and Walking Tour.
According to Ms. Chris, the caretaker at the Pelican Inn adored her two Boston Terriers and would take them on long walks along the beach.
One day, one of the pups spotted a young child playing in the surf. At that moment, the child was hit by a huge wave and pulled out by a dangerous riptide. The poor child was defenseless against the raging waters and needed help.
One of the Boston Terriers jumped into action, pulling the young child to safety on the shore. But the pup would not make it after it became ill after digesting too much water, dying shortly after.
The dog’s littermate became grief-stricken and would not eat after the loss, dying of a broken heart.
About a year later, neighborhood children played on the beach when their parents heard two dogs barking in the distance. The adults said it sounded like the two Boston Terriers and began to look for them but never saw them.
Others have said that the caretaker did see her two babies again as she walked on the beach when she thought she had heard two dogs barking at her. When she turned, she saw both running in her direction. As soon as they got close to her arms, they vanished into the salty air.
Today, if you are walking along this stretch of coastline and hear a pair of dogs barking, perhaps they are trying to warn you of danger, or they are just happy to see you.
Written: John G. Clark Jr.
Source: The Old And New Legends Of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Pages. 29 and 30.
Image: Shutterstock